Metal-punching machine



' Sept. 9, 1.924. 1,507,939

G. P. THOMAS METAL PUNCHING MACHINE I Filed llarqh 28 1923 3 Sheets-51nd 1 FIGJ.

WITNESSES aarww Sept. 9, 1924.

G- P. THOMAS METAL PUNCHING MACH-INS 1923 3 SheetsRSheot 2 Filed March 28.

lNl/E/VTOR M (2% I I Im WITNESS S Sept. 9, 1924. v

G. P. THOMAS METAL PUNCHING MACHINE I Filed larch 28.

1923 3 Shots-Shoot 3 /N VEN TOR w/vwzssgs Patented Sept. 9, 1924. i V

UNITED STATE S P TE TITOFF E-- GEORGE r. THOMAS, or onnnsnaw, PENNSYLVANIA.

.METAL-PUNGHING magma Application-filed March as, .1923. SeriaI No. 628,203.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE'P. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Glenshaw, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveiinvented a new and useful Improvement in Metal-Punching Machines, of which the fol-- lowing is a specification. I

The inventlon relates to machinery for punching rivet and bolt holes in metal blanks, particularly in structural material such as steel plates, angles, beams and other sections. i

In machinery of this sort it is now common practice to provide a work-supporting table at each side of a punching machine, and to provide means for mechanicallymoving a blank predetermined ,distancesupon the table so that the blank may be in proper position to be punched at the requiredim for this purpose the punches and dies are,

in some cases, mounted for transversemovement upon the head and anvil of the machine, and means are provided for moving them laterally the required amounts while the machine is in operation. These trans:

verse movements have been effected manu-- ally, as by means of threaded rods" which engage threaded openings in the tool holders, and have also beeneifected mechanically. However, the latter hasbeen done by the use of complicated mechanismwhich has proven to be quite unsatisfactory, both from the viewpoint of' the initial cost of construction, and from that of performance in operation. I The object of this invention is to provide a machine for punching an irregular line or lines of holes in a metal blank, which machine is simple in construction, and direct, positive and accurate in operation, and which may also be used for punching holes all lying in straight lines. l i

A further object is to provide a machine for punching an lrregular line or lines of holes in; a blank,'in which machine cooperating punching tools are moved. trans of and with, the blank, which'guide may be especially'constructed for the purpose or may consist of an irregular structural part" punched.

The invention is illustrated in" thezaocompanying drawings of which Fig. l is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevationof a punching 'machine and work-supporting tables adjacent toit; Fig.2a planzviewof the construction illustrated in Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and ,l transverse sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines III.III and IV-IV, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 a horizontalsectional formed for attachment tothe blank being l b a guide movable longitudinally view taken on the broken line VV, Fig.

4; and Fig. 6 a vertical sectionalview taken on the broken line -VI-VI, Fig. 5.

In the practice of the invention one or more pairs of cooperating punching tools are moved transversely by means of aguide whichis moved longitudinally by the blankmoving means and in alignment. with the advancing blank, there being suitable connections extending from the guide to the punching, tools to cause the latter to move transversely of the blank as theguide isad:

vanced with the blank. While the guide may, within the scopeof the inventionybe' variously formed, and may be connected in difi'erent Ways, directly or indirectly, tofthe' blank-moving means, it is preferably ofa length coextensive with that oftheblank to be'punched and is directly connected to the blank-moving means.

The invention is illustrated in its adapt{ ability to punching an irregular line of. holes in the lower edge of a web plate'l for a railway car sill, shown particularly in Fig.5

1, although it is manifestly applicable to punching irregular or curved lines of holes in other structural materials, and'in'materials for other purposes. The holes re quired to be punched in sill plate l inc'lude.

a straight line of holes 50 adjacent one edge of the plate, and an irregular line 51 adjacent to the other edge, it being understood that such plates are narrower "at their ends than at their central cated in Fig. 1.

Platel is shown as resting upon-rollers 52 of a work-supporting table extending at each side of-a-punchingmachine 2. "For convenience, the table at the .left hand'side of the punch may be designated as a-;spacing table 3 and that on the'right as a trailer.

portion, as is indi-- table f1; On the central portion of the spaclug-table there diagrammatically represented a spacing carriage 5 to which the forward end of plate 1 is attached by means mounted on the carriages, and that they are automatically stopped to bring blanks being punched to stops at the required successive positions for punching the necessary holes in the blanks. Instead of pulling the blanks carria es in the manner disclosed in said.

7 patents, t eir full lengths may be supported upon carriages as disclosed in my Patent NQ.,1,175 ,196. v,

l The punching machine illustrated in the drawings is: of a familiar multiple-punch I type, similar to that shown in my Patent No. 1,141,221, comprising a frame 2, a reciprocating head 7 and a stationary anvil 8, Figs. at and ti. The reciprocating head is constructed for receiving two lines of punch holders, one on each side of the head. Que side of the machine is equipped with punch die holders 9 and 10 for punching odd holes in the plate, these tool holders being clamped to the head 7 and an anvil by means of bolts 11 and 12 in such a manner that during the operation of the machine they are not movable laterally. The other side of the machine is provided with a punch holder13 and a die holder 14:, which are also fixed against lateral or transverse movement during the operation of the machine, and accordingly are used for punching a straight line of holes, such as the line in plate 1. On the latter side of the machine I there is also mounted'a transversely movable punch holder 15 and die holder 16, the formei being provided with the pin 17 and the latter with a socket 18 for receiving the low er end of the pin, thereby interconnecting the holders for transverse or lateral movements in such a manner that the cooperating tools which the holders carr'y, namel .1 punch 19 and a. die 20 constantly remain in proper relative positions. These tools are for punching the irregular lines of holes, such as the line 51 in plate 1. 7

,All the punch and die holders may be and preferably are, of the laterally appli cable type disclosed inmy Patent No. 1,06%;-

- 397, the stationary holders being clamped in positionby means of bolts as previously explained. F or holding upon the head and anvil the transversely adjustable punch and die holders 15 and 16, straps or brackets :21 and 22 may be clamped to the vertical faces of the head andanvil in the same manner as the stationary punch and die holders are clamped to these members. Between these straps and the faces of the head and anvil the punch and die holders 15 and 16 may slide.

To move these slidable punch and die holders, or as many pairs of them as may be desired, the required intervals and at the required time during the operation of the machine, a guide, preferably in the form of a bent angle 23 may be mounted upon the back of a channel 24;, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the forward end of which is attached by clamping jaws 55 to the spacing carriage At the sides of the spacing and trailer tables iii the flanges of the channel maybe supported upon, and guided by, rollers 25removably mounted upon suitableshafts 26 extending laterally from the Work-supporting, tables;

To further guide the channel adjacent to die holders 15 and 16 may be connectedto the guide. angle by a block 28 slidably mounted in a bracket 29 and connected to die holder 16 by means of. a link 30. The

lower face of block 28 is provided with a pair. of rollers 31 which engage opposite sides of the vertical leg of the guide angle.

Bracket 29 is preferably bolted or otherwise detachably connected to the punching mathat is punched. This angle is first punched and is then bent to its required final shape. Thereafter it is bolted to the'bac'kof chair nel 24 in alignment withthe plate to be punched. Both plate 1 and channel 24 are connected to spacing carriage 5, and accordingly both are simultaneously and uniform-- ly moved by it. Thls longitudinal move ment of the bent guide angle imparts the proper lateral movement to dieholder 16 through the connections previously explann ed; and the die holder, through the pin and socket connection 17, 18., causes the punch holder to correspondingly move laterally. In this simple but effective manner the punch .19 and die 20 are positively and directly positioned at the required places to punch. the irregular line of holes 51 required in the plate. Simultaneously with the punching of the irregular line of holes the straight .lineof holes 50 is punched by the tools in the stationary punch and the holders 13 and 14. Any odd holes that may be required between lines 50 and 51 may be punched by the tools in the holders 9 and 10 on the other side of the machine.

It is characteristic of the invention that the mechanism for moving a punch and die laterally maybe applied to existing punching machinery without affecting its capability of being used at any time for punching in the usual manner without lateral movements of any of the tools. It

has been previously explained that the punching machine may be of the familiar multiple-punch type. Assuming that the machine has been equipped with the parts necessary to cause one or more pairs of tools to move transversely in the manner. explained, all that is necessary to be done in equipping the machine for punching ma terial having holes arranged all in straight lines is to substitute stationary for the laterally movable tool holders, remove bracket 29 and one or both rollers 27 from the punching machine, and, if wide plates or a plurality of narrow blanks are to be punched, substitute work-supporting rolls 52 for the channel or guide supporting rolls 25 on shaft 26.

The, invention is obviously applicable to punching irregular lines of holes in other than plates for car sills. For example, by providing a curved guide curved lines of holes may be readily punched in the edges of boiler and stack plates. Other. uses of the invention will readily suggest themselves to those familiar with the art. 7

According to the Provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle and operation of my invention together with what I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I'desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced by other forms of construction than that particularly shown and described.

I claim: 1 i

1. In machinery for punching an irregular line of holes in a metal blank, the combination ofapunching machine equipped with a laterally-movable cooperating punch and die, a table extending from opposite sides of the punching machine for supporting a blank, means for moving the blank through the punching machine, a guide longitudi nally movable by said blank-moving means in alignment with the advancing blank, and means for connecting said guide to said punch and die for moving them laterally as the punching operation proceeds.

2. In machinery for punching an irregular line of holes in a metal blank, the combination of a punching machine equipped with a laterally-movable cooperating punch and die, a table extending from opposite sides ofthe-punching-machine for supportand die, whereby the longitudinal movement of the guide imparts lateral move-v ments to the punch and die.

3. In machinery for punching an irregular line of holes in a metal blank, the comb-i nation of a punching machine equipped with a laterally-movable cooperating punch and die, a table extending from opposite sides of the punching machine for supporting a blank, means for moving the blank through the punching machine, a guide longitudinallymovable by said blank-moving meansin alignment with the advancing blank, a bracket removaby .attached'tof said punching machine, a block slidably mounted in said bracket and engaging said guide, and means for connecting said block to said punch and die whereby the longitudinal movements of the guide impart lateral movements to the punch and die.

4. In machinery for punching an irregu lar line of holes in a metal blank, the com} bination of a punching machine equipped with a laterally movable punch and die, a

table extending from opposite sides 'of the I punching machine for supporting a blank,

means for moving the blank through the punching machine, a guide coextensive with the blank to be punchedand longitudinally movable by said blank-moving means in alignment with the advancing blank, and

means for. connecting said guide to said punch and die for moving them laterally as the punching operation proceeds. I g 5. In machinery for punching an irregu lar line ofholes in a metal blank, the com-. bination of a punching machine having a reciprocating head and an anvil provided with a laterally movable punch and die, a work-supporting table extending from opposite sides of said machine, a spacing carriage borne by said table on one side of the machine, a guide coextensive with a blank to be punched connected to and longitudinally movable by and with said carriage,

and means for connecting said guide to said punch and die for moving them laterally the punching operation proceeds.

6. In machinery for punching an irregular line of holes in a metal blank, the combination of a multiple punching machine having a reciprocating head and an anvil provided with a laterally movable punch and die, a work-supporting table extending. from opposite sides of said machine, a spacing carriage borne by said table on one side of the machine, said table being provided at each side of a machine with means for supporting a guide, a guide resting upon said guide support and connected at one end to said carriage, said guide being coextensive with a blank to be punched and longitudinally movable with said carriage, and means for connecting said guide to said punch and die for moving them laterally during the punching operation.

'7. In machinery for punching an irregular line of holes in a metal blank, the conbination of a multiple punching machine equipped with a laterally movable punch and die. a table extending from opposite sides of said machine a d provided with work orting rolls at one side and with guide-s1 gporting rolls at its other side, means arranged centrally of said table for moving a blank through the punch, a guide mounted upon said guide-supporting rolls and longitudinally movable by said blankmoving means in alignment with the ad va-ncing blank, and means for connecting said guide to said punch and die for moving them laterally during the punching op eration. p

8. In machinery-tor punchlng an lrregular line of holes in a metal blank, the combmation of a punching machine having areciprocating head and anvil provided with a laterally movable punch and die, a work-v supporting table extending from opposite sides of said machine a spacing carriage on sald table at one slde of the punch, a guide coextensive with a blank to be punched connected to and longitudinally movable with said carriage, a bracket removably GEORGE P. THOMAS. Witness:

EDWIN O. JOHNS. 

